Transfer Scholarships to Assist LFCC Students in Continuing Their Education

MIDDLETOWN and WARRENTON, Va. – Earning a college degree is more affordable than ever — thanks to recent strides to provide financial assistance to students who need it most. Not only can Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) students receive scholarships and financial assistance, while paying less than a third of the cost of attending a four-year institution, they can now apply for transfer scholarships to continue their education.

Last year, the Virginia General Assembly voted to approve legislation creating a transfer grant program that makes a four-year college degree more affordable for some community college graduates. The legislation provides a $1,000 grant for all eligible students, with an extra $1,000 for students who pursue undergraduate work in engineering, math, nursing, teaching or science. The grant is applied toward the tuition expenses at a four-year college or university.

At LFCC, there are currently 285 students who meet the requirements and would be eligible to apply for the grant once they graduate with their associate degree. Following are the eligibility requirements of the transfer grant program:

Be a first-time entering freshman no earlier than fall 2007

Be an undergraduate in-state student

Meet selective service requirements

Complete an associate degree at a Virginia two-year public institution

Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 for the associate degree

Enroll at a Virginia four-year public or private nonprofit college or university by the fall following completion of the associate degree

Enroll in a degree program (religious training or theological education excluded)

Apply for financial aid

Demonstrate financial need, which is defined as a federally calculated expected family contribution of $8,000 or less

Once students have transferred, the grant can be renewed for up to three years or 70 credit hours. In addition, student recipients must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0, along with satisfactory academic progress, to obtain renewal. Students must also demonstrate continued financial need.

Individuals interested in learning more about the transfer grant program may contact the Admissions and Records Office at admissions@lfcc.edu or 540-868-7105.

In an effort to complement the state’s program, the LFCC Educational Foundation Inc. is seeking donors interested in establishing transfer scholarships to financially assist students who applied to four-year institutions within the last 12 months but were not admitted. Once established, the LFCC transfer scholarships would pay for the tuition, fees and books of students attending LFCC for two full years with plans to transfer to four-year institutions upon graduating with their associate degrees. This arrangement would benefit students by providing an opportunity for them to take advantage of the transfer agreements that LFCC has with four-year institutions and giving them time to save money and secure funding to attend four-year institutions.

The cost of establishing a transfer scholarship at LFCC for one student totals $8,500. This dollar amount will pay for tuition, fees and books for two full years at the College. Individuals interested in learning more about establishing a transfer scholarship may contact Linnie Carter, vice president of college advancement at LFCC, at lcarter@lfcc.edu or 540-868-4077.

*************************

Founded in 1970, Lord Fairfax Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With four locations — Middletown, Warrenton, Luray-Page County and most recently, Vint Hill— the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. LFCC offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. LFCC also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. LFCC serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.

Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lord Fairfax Community College. Lord Fairfax Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors. LFCC also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment.